Spark Unplugged: Taking Cheap and Cheerful to New Heights

You may call the 2013 Chevrolet Spark "unique" without upsetting defenders of the English language. "Unique" means "one of a kind," so "very unique" is poor wording, and describing an item as "unique" when there are other things like it is wrong.

The Spark is Chevy's new A-segment mini. Three other cars sold in the U.S. compete in this size category, and none is like this Bowtie A-car. It certainly has none of the cartoonish character of the Fiat 500, and it's more than $3000 cheaper than the op-art design, two-door hatchback Scion iQ, a car surprisingly substandard in its driving dynamics, especially for a Toyota product. The only competitor that comes close to the Spark's $12,995 price is the smart fortwo, a two-door two-seater that serves as a strong argument for the commuter biking movement.

The Chevy Spark, which goes on sale in August or September, is the only four-door hatchback in the A-segment with reasonably comfortable space for four adults. It is unique. A pure electric version is scheduled to hit the market next year.

The rear seat, with cupholders dividing left from right, has generous headroom and pretty good legroom, with a necessarily short seat cushion. The car is tall: one inch taller than the already upright Sonic B-car. With the Spark's rear seats up, there's not much more cargo space than in the Fortwo. But who combines grocery shopping with double dates? Flip and fold the rear seats and the Spark offers 31.2 cubic-feet of volume, Chevy says.

The Spark is successor to the Daewoo Matiz, a onetime favorite of the Third World and emerging markets. Chevrolet already is building the Spark in South Korea for Asia and Europe. North America gets a specific chassis setup and a bump in engine displacement from 1.2 liters to 1.249 liters, thanks to both bore and stroke, plus electronic power steering, aluminum wheels, StabiliTrak stability control with brake assist, and Hill Start Assist. We get 185/55R all-season tires on 15-inch wheels, while other markets get 14-inch wheels or smaller.

Air conditioning -- which is optional, still, on the base Dodge Dart -- is standard across the Spark line, as are power windows all around. The 2LT trim level adds heated leatherette (vinyl) seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, but the joy in owning a Spark will come from owning one of the lowest-priced cars available, and possibly the cheapest car with four useful seats.The best thing that can be said about the optional four-speed automatic, which should cost an extra $1000 or so, is that it's not a CVT. Beside the fact it has just four speeds, it adds about 2 seconds onto the five-speed manual's already considerable estimated 0-60 time. What better time to teach your kids how to operate a clutch pedal? The only issue is that if most prospective customers heed this advice, it'll surely upset Chevy's inventory.

Manuals should be required on such cars, because a stick shift can keep drivers from texting and phoning while driving, and because it can add a modicum of fun to otherwise unremarkable dynamics.The ultra-light car feels fairly tossable. Its stiff damping seems designed to keep the car from bottoming out on Rustbelt potholes. Steering is unobtrusive at best, and doesn't go out of its way to offer feedback. Body roll is considerable, thanks to the space-creating height. Three passengers joined me for my first drive of a manual Spark around GM's Milford Proving Grounds handling road, which means the four of us increased the car's gross weight more than 30 percent. There was a good deal of lean in the long sweepers.

The 83-horsepower engine moves the car adequately, and offers plenty of power for first-time drivers. It can get out of its own way, though not at all quickly. At highway speeds, there's plenty of wind and road noise, though the car is quiet enough inside to conduct normal conversation with front- and rear-seat passengers.

If you feel compelled to add anything to the Spark's base price, go for the package that includes Chevrolet MyLink with AM/FM/SiriusXM Satellite Radio (with a three-month trial service), digital clock, Bluetooth streaming audio, six speakers, and voice recognition. The stereo is no Bose, let alone Fender or Mark Levinson, but you won't be spending a couple large for a built-in navigation system. MyLink connects with your smartphone to provide GoGo Link navigation, so it gets upgrades every time you upgrade your phone's software or replace the hardware. The system also provides Pandora and Stitcher music services, and there's room on the 7-inch touch screen for more apps later.With 10 airbags, a sufficiently solid feel, and a cheap and cheerful interior, the Chevy Spark is plenty of car for used car money. Its ride, handling, and steering aren't unlike that in the soft and springy Fiat 500 - the standard model, not the Abarth. If you're in the market for an A-segment car, you should dismiss the Scion iQ and Smart Fortwo immediately, which leaves the 500 and the Spark. From there, it comes down to the question of whether you'll fork over $2500 to $5500 more for all the Italian-bombshell-in-a-black-cocktail-dress style and fashion of the Fiat that's missing in the Chevy [unless you consider oversized headlamps "stylish"]. If you're unwilling, or unable, to spend an extra 20 to 42 percent of your budget on the 500, then you've discovered what marketers would call the Spark's unique selling proposition.

Great little car for running around town perfect for kids headed for college our daughter loves it but I must say the MPG is not all that great. Would I buy one ? most definitely NO ! Love my BMW to much .....

We just bought a Spark my first thought was "NO WAY NOT THAT LITTLE THING!!" I must say we love it! Yes it's small yet the inside is roomier than i though it would be! I am 5'9" and on the initial test drive I sat in the back with my Mother in Law riding shotgun and my Wife at the controls. I wanted to see how bad this would be. Surprisingly Mom had plenty on legroom and so did I in back. Ride was smooth considering the size of the Spark. My Wife loves Stick shift and had no trouble at all A/C ice cold Heater fire hot if you want it. Then I drove it Shifting was very smooth and got up to speed quite well! Again I was impressed. With 84 HP don't expect a rocket, however it did better than I thought. Now we have the kids learning to drive the Spark PERFECT LEARNING CAR! My Wife loves the Spark and so do I!! For the Price for the economy Warranty and having the peace of mind of a new car it just makes sense to give the Spark a try. Remember my first impression was pure disgust for this tiny little box, I'm used to driving a Dodge Ram Diesel. So for me to come around and love this car makes a BIG statement for a great little car. We can't wait for a road trip!

What people are not getting based on the 50 or so comments here are that this car has a few features that put it ahead of the competitors listed and looks should take a back seat. 1) if it's true it fits 4 adults then it has no competition..it becomes the ideal group student or work commuter vehicle as almost all other cars listed here are 2 persons upfront and that's it 2) it's American and that alone means easier parts and repair sites 3) You're not going broke with options as this seems to have everything in a base model...my only question? this seems the perfect car for GM to get back into the diesel hunt, there's a few 1.3 liter diesels getting 60 plus mpg in Europe and Japan and those torque babies would pull along a 4 adult full car much easier and make that 9 gal tank last awhile

I OWN A SPARK... its my wifes car and we absolutely love it, the road noise is a little high for my liking but agian its her car. secondly this car is made in Korea (we have owned several kias and have always been happy with them) i feel the koreans build good cars (why kia/hyundai are number 3 in sales last year)... we drove from Seattle to Pasco Wa. (236 miles) at 70ish mph and averaged 43-46mpg and that was over several mountian passes, so i feel the MPG rating for this car is a little low for some reason. the only complaint i have it the power, in town its fine even on flat land or small hills on the highway its great. going over passes at a 6% grade i found doing 65mph in 3rd (auto) the car pulled strong and was only turning over 4K rpm... the speakers are of lesser quality then i would have expected but work fine, no rattles, runs like a champ i absolutely love this car and recommend to anyone wanting a small car but not a fiat 500 or smart car

a couple points: first- the headlights are that way to deflect wind around the mirrors for wind noise reduction on the presumed ev model for next year. the ev motors are so quiet that the wind noise is bothersome! second- the purpose of these cars is fuel economy. the 7$-8$ price of european gas is coming to the US in the next few years- our 15mpg behemoths will be rotting away as dross in just a few years.

Poor design. Once again, GM proves that it has no idea how to design an attractive micro car. GM needs to learn that when you put OVER-SIZED grilles, headlamps, and tail lights on a micro car, it only makes the car look SMALLER and clownish.Now look at the Fiat 500 or Mini Cooper in contrast. Those cars have normally proportioned headlamps and grilles. Those European designs look much more attractive and balanced.

@ctsv4tiger. Well said buddy. The car is nothing special but at this price, it does the job for new drivers or city moms.My question is, why couldn't it remain loyal to its concept? They turned it from wow to wtf?

To see how it should be done ( and G.M. could have done it this way!)search Suzuki Splash/Maruti Ritz.(or go to www'Autocarindia.com and look up the "Gallery" for the Ritz.G.M. sells this in Europe as the Vauxhall/Opel Agila and could easily have put a "Chevy grill" on it. It looks SO much better than this piece of #@%*! And, given Suzuki's envolvement, will be a much better car.Makes you wonder why some markets, including North America, are getting the "second class products" instead of the good stuff........

@laserwizard who said "Absolutely wretched product - hideous inside and out - a gutless excuse from the world's most underachieving automaker. We saved this morass of motoring so they could produce this?"No, we saved GM so they could produce the Corvette ZR-1, the Camaro ZL-1, the new 2014 Impala, the Cadillac CTS-V, the new Cadillac ATS and XTS, the Buick Regal GS and I could go on and on. HOWEVER, your puny little ignorant mind doesn't seem to understand how the government's insane CAFE standards have now made it imperative that manufacturers built fuel economy turds like this to keep the overall CAFE ratings up high to balance out the previously listed WORLD STANDARD vehicles! Keep your anti-American bigotry to yourself next time you idiot!

I had to do a double take since my first impression was: Wow, MT's featuring a hideous little Chinese car. To my eyes, this is, without a doubt, the ugliest vehicle produced by any major manufacturer since the SUV that killed Pontiac. I would honestly rather drive the Aztec (sp). I don't care if this thing gets 80mpg, it's a design turd. Good lord GM, what the hell is going on?

MPG. For me, that's what matters. Not acceleration, not looks. When I first heard about this car I thought, "Hey! Finally a successor to my 1.0L 3-cylinder Geo Metro." My Geo is no longer, and the ones out there today are aging. If GM can't at least match my old 1.0L Geo in terms of fuel economy, I'll be looking for a used Metro instead of a new Spark.

Hey look its those moronic robots from that gawdawful Transformers 2 movie!! But seriously, those headlights are out of control! I would rather fork over an extra 20 bucks a DAY for an upgrade just so I could avoid renting this clown car! YUCK!

Versa is an ugly dog, but at least it's roomySmart is almost a gold cartiQ is $1000 too expensiveBase Sonic gets crappy mileageFiat 500 is is an iQ with worse gasBase Fiesta drives like a dog, but is probably the best car in the bunchWhen the 1.0 EcoBoost comes out, that will be the best under $15kBD

The $13,995 absolute base Fiesta sedan I sat in at the last car show I went to is looking pretty good right about now. The Spark just looks terrible. If the rest of the car doesn't turn you off, the 3X too big headlights should. If you like the headlights, you should stand outside on a sunny day and stare at the sun.

An EV will NEVER be a practical choice for my primary transportation and I already use a bicycle and public transportation (no need for a designated driver when you take the bus) for secondary transportation, so NO THANKS to an EV (or gas) version of this $h*t box !!

These vehicles barely get better mileage than cars two categories larger. The review specifically states that the car offers 4 reasonably comfortable seats, which I find more compelling than merely looking at measurements. Folks buying a car in this class are likely most concerned with two issues: small size for parking and up front cost. $3000 is substantial to anyone looking to buy a car at this price point. Based on the logic you get what you pay for, why would you buy the Scion iQ when for $3000 more you could get a better equipped Elantra/Civic/Focus/Mazda3 offering similar mileage and substantially more room and refinement?

They seem more than ready to kick the Scion iQ down a flight of stairs, but they haven't shown me in this article any way this car is better, other than a lower price.It is expected to get 30 city/40 hwy /33 comb EPA MPG, which is lower combined than iQ's 36/37/36.It has less power, but will weigh about 200 lbs more with an automatic, which means it will also be slower.Plus it will be about 4 inches narrower in width than the Scion. Hope you really like your front passenger, since you'll use them as an armrest.I like the low price and the 5-door option, but it is slower, less efficient, less powerful, and will feel cramped up front in shoulder room. You'll get what you pay for.....BD

I like that GM is building a small A class vehicle. There is a dearth of small, safe, cheap, basic new cars to buy anymore n this fits the bill...mostly. My two concerns are:1) that weak ass auto trans that will be in rental fleets n will probably get worse mileage. GM should drop in a CVT or 6spd auto trans instead next year.2) the drag coefficient may not be that good n therefore the mpg won't be as good as it could. Under 2,300lbs is great but I fear that this will only get slightly better mpg than the two classes above it...perhaps 31/42 w/ the stick. That bigger Fiesta w/ the 1.0L ecoboost may get 33/45 n only be a couple grand more w/ more room n power. That GM 1.4L turbo might do better overall...or at least as a more fun option.

Corrections first:himoses: Most basic EVs, like the Leaf, are already less costly then their gas only counterparts...in many areas of the US. Avoid short term perspective and look at the 5 year costs to own and operate an EV. First include the EV fed/state/local financial incentives(rebates, tax credits, free charging, free parking, single occupant carpool use, etc). Then calculate the less then half of gas only counterpart fuel n maintenance costs(no oil to change for example) and you'll see that EVs are usually "cheaper" now if driven at least 15K miles/year. Range will hopefully increase significantly soon on newer models.vertigo5110: Ford currently using 1.6L Ecoboost in new Escape n soon 1.0L Ecoboost in Focus n hopefully Fiesta later this year.

BriCan you are indeed correct, it is a rebadged Splash - I forgot Suzuki was still making cars. The Swift used to make a decent rental when overseas. I haven't been on a Suzuki lot in years. I don't know why a company that is so good with motorcycles has so much trouble making a car that sells.

@ Dave_in_Rio_RanchoI am fairly familiar with the Versa. A-cars are irrelevent in the United States. A-cars are very relevant in Europe and third world countries. The Spark is competent enough for Europe but too expensive for countries like India, unless outsourced.I suppose an electric version of the Spark will make sense to some in heavily congested cities who also have access to garage EV charge ports. I actually meet the sparse criteria of people an EV would work for, however, I find them a waste until they are as cheap or cheaper than gas vehicles.

You know.. I'm really diggin' this car for some reason and I'm not a super huge fan of micros like this. Only thing that I would complain about it the lack of the 1.4 turbo option like Raycin_Jaysin mentioned. Of course, manual or auto would be fine with that engine. I don't know if anyone at GM will read this but get your heads out of your arses and put the 1.4t in this car. It's not an expensive engine to produce, would make just the right amount of power for this car and still get great gas mileage.

Would it really have cost that much more to throw in the 1.4T and the 6 speed auto? This car, as is, belongs in India or some third world country someplace. Garbage like this doesn't belong in America.

This is small even by our downsized standards for cars today. Like someone else said, cars like this should be manual, as the type of people who will likely drive them, teenagers, don't need to text and drive especially considering their inexperience. I would only use a vehicle like this on city streets, no serious driving.

"Todd Lassa: Manuals should be required on such cars, because a stick shift can keep drivers from texting and phoning while driving, and because it can add a modicum of fun to otherwise unremarkable dynamics."I agree - for those reasons and more; this would be a perfect first car - a pony car that goes 0-60 in 5 seconds is not something your kid needs unless you plan a visiting them in the hospital or at the police station.

Volkswagen Up, Skoda Citigo, Suzuki Splash, Opel Agila, Hyundai i10, Kia Picanto, Nissan Pixo, FIAT Uno,FIAT Panda, Ford Ka ( the Euro one....and even, maybe the South American one)......ALL of them rate better than this!Even ( dare I say it?) some of the little Chinese cars are rated higher in the existing markets, and most all are betterMost all look better, too.Find them on "You-tube"........what is G.M. thinking?And you have to laugh even more at the absurd "roof-rails"!!!!!!!!!!!!

"himoses - Today 08:10 AM ...I think the price is too high. $10k would have been the perfect number. It is well equipped, though for what it is..."If you want to see "a cheap car" check out the base Nissan Versa.

Why does this have power windows standard when the Chevy Sonic doesn't? I also don't see the value in this car despite it being slightly cheaper than its competition. $13k for the base model? $1k for the optional automatic? I don't think GM will sell many of these... it has to be one of the least attractive cars I've seen in a while, despite many people finding generally unattractive vehicles to be "unique" these days (Cube, Juke, etc). The Sonic looks nice, but this Spark looks pretty terrible.

A 2010 Corolla with crank windows, no power locks (why in the hell would anyone need them in a Corolla? If you aren't coordinated enough to reach and activate the door locks on a Corolla, you don't need to be driving!)and 20,000 miles is TEN TIMES the car (and ten times more likely to have a long inexpensive future with minimum repair and maintenance hassle) this hideous joke is !!

This just blew the 1978 Monte Carlo* out of the water as the all time ugliest car to ever wear the Chevrolet Bow Tie, and might even be a threat to the Aztek's undisputed title as the all time ugliest GM product. *No offense to 1978 Monte Carlo owners, especially ones who are strapped, but you guys don't have to see your "beauty" while driving it, the rest of us do !!

I think this would be a great city car and/or car for high school/college students. I see it selling well in those area. If its MPG is good, thrifty minded people might buy them up too - especially for those that don't like hybrids and/or CVT cars. I'd be interested to see what kind of aftermarket parts start streaming out - if any. Nice little car, this. While I'm not super crazy about the interior, I absolutely LOVE this style of gage cluster. This and the Sonic. Pretty dern sweet

I think this car is a good value. For what it offers as standard equipment, especially. There's a lot of perks to owning a new car versus a preowned, and this undercuts just about every other new car on the market. And as far as used cars go, you'd be surprised how little $13K~ will buy. A perfect example is the 2010 Corolla LE with crank windows and no power locks and 20,000mi I just sold a few days ago for that price. Hmm.....three year old car with no equipment, less warranty, worse financing options or new car with more equipment, more warranty, better financing options for the same money.....